{"id":294692,"date":"2023-10-19T19:14:46","date_gmt":"2023-10-19T19:14:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/allmysportsnews.com\/?p=294692"},"modified":"2023-10-19T19:14:46","modified_gmt":"2023-10-19T19:14:46","slug":"englands-ben-earl-18kg-lighter-than-south-africa-man-mountain-duane-vermeulen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allmysportsnews.com\/rugby-league\/englands-ben-earl-18kg-lighter-than-south-africa-man-mountain-duane-vermeulen\/","title":{"rendered":"England’s Ben Earl 18kg lighter than South Africa man mountain Duane Vermeulen"},"content":{"rendered":"

Earl and England look ahead to Rugby World Cup semi-final<\/h3>\n

When it comes to illustrating the size of the task facing England against world champions South Africa on Saturday night at the Stade de France, there is a literal example of it at No 8. England\u2019s Ben Earl, one of the shining lights of their World Cup campaign, will be giving away 18kg to Springbok man mountain Duane Vermeulen.<\/p>\n

Size is not everything in rugby union but it doesn\u2019t half help and South Africa corner the market in enormous human beings. England aren\u2019t exactly tiny, of course, but when the imbalance with Vermeulen was put to Earl there was a slight pause, as if the full realisation of it was sinking in.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a World Cup semi-final. It\u2019s sink or swim. Let\u2019s hope I swim,\u201d said Earl. \u201cI\u2019ve got to bring the best of myself and play to my strengths.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know what I\u2019m trying to get out of the weekend. To play against someone like him is going to be brilliant. Anyone who\u2019s played against him says he\u2019s one of the smartest players as well as the biggest. I\u2019ve been watching highlights of some of their players in the pack since I was 12.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got a huge amount of respect for them. But the only way to respect them is by bringing our best and seeing where that gets us after 80 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

There will be an element of boxing clever involved for Earl and for England. Pile unthinkingly straight into a row of massive green traffic bollards and you tend to come off second best.<\/p>\n

Steve Borthwick\u2019s game plan cannot be just route one rugby. But at some point the nature of the sport means England will have to fight fire with fire.<\/p>\n

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